Last Chance to Visit the California State Fair

Disclosure: I receive a media pass to share the fair with you, although I receive this benefit, I still purchase tickets for my children, they are not part of that media pass. My opinions and thoughts shared here are my own. We have attended the State Fair every year as a family since my babies were babies and I attended before that as a teenager, I love the California State Fair. 

This coming week is your last chance to visit the California State Fair, it is here through July 30, 2023. I took a couple of my kids who wanted to go this past Tuesday on Kids Day, they loved the Bear Cup Competition Gaming Room and the NEW Dragon Exhibit. The Dragon Exhibit has a ton of hands-on activities and really cool large-moving dragons. The Bear Cup Competition Gaming Room has rows and rows of PS4s, PCs, and other gaming consoles. 

The Wild Science Exhibit was another favorite in Building 1, there are live reptiles, hands-on puzzles, giant bubbles and so much more. 

If you are from Sacramento you know it seems like every State Fair we have a heat wave, we've had triple digits most days of the fair. I highly recommend freezing sealed water bottles before you go. Having ice-cold water and a frozen water bottle to place on your neck and head, is a big help in staying cool. They do not allow hydro flasks or metal water bottles. No glass, aluminum cans either, but you can bring in outside food. 

Here are things I recommend to stay cool, bring a personalized mister or cooling towel. Dress light and in light colors, bring a hat for extra shade. Stay hydrated and seek shade throughout your visit, take breaks, and remember your sunscreen. 

Know before you go, parking is $10 and they have a clear bag policy, no bags larger than 12"x12"x2". Nowadays most venues and events have a clear bag or no bag policy, I recommend purchasing one and keeping it just for events like these. 

Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 AM to 10 PM and Friday through Sunday 10 AM to 10 PM. I do wish they opened earlier, considering our triple-digit weather, but I am guessing they base the hours on previous years' attendance. I know if they opened at 8 AM, I would totally go 8 to Noon to beat some of the heat, but it is what it is. They do have cooling stations, misters, and air-conditioned buildings. 

Spend lots of time in the air conditioning! I love the Candy Maze and Selfie Experience in Building 2 there are so many fun photo props. 

Here are some ways you can save while visiting the California State Fair:

Purchase the Food Festival Pass for $34, and you can redeem your pass for four food items at select vendors. Note buy your pass online or at the entrance because it is not sold throughout the parks. That is one thing I wish they would add, a few booths throughout the fair. I say this so you don't forget to buy one and then have to walk all the way to the front gates to purchase one, that's happened to me. You can find an entire list of the Food Pass items and a map of where to find them here. One of our favorites is the Cinnamon Roll, it is an annual tradition for my kids. 

Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls took home the Best of Show for the third consecutive year with their mouthwatering Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Sundae. And a newcomer, Benito’s Tacos, won ribbons in two categories, bagging the Best in Division: Savory and Gold in Savory for their delightful Benito Taco & Horchata. 

The Food Pass items are all $12 or more, so it is a good way to save if you want to try a variety of the State Fair foods, and let's be honest the fair food is why we really go.

Visit the Save Mart Farm and receive a FREE healthy snack. When you get your passport stamped at five fruit/veggie stations you can redeem your passport in the farm area for a free fruit, an apple, pear, or orange. 

Monday is SMUD Giving Monday! If you bring five non-perishable food items to donate, you can get into the fair FREE! This Monday, July 24th is the last day to participate. This also goes towards a great cause of helping the Elk Grove Food Bank! Bring the food to the booth near the Blue Gate between 11 AM and 3 PM and you will receive one free ticket for same-day admission. You can bring canned tuna, macaroni and cheese, rice, pasta, ramen, cereal, and more. You can find a full list of what is most needed here. 

Tuesday is Kids Day, kids ages 12 and under receive FREE admission!

BOGO Offer - Visit an O'Reilly Auto Parts Store for a Buy One Get One Free Coupon. They have a QR Code at their locations and you'll receive a Buy One Get One Free offer. 

Military, Veteran, and First Responder Day is Thursday, July 27th! All military, veterans, and first responders get into the California State Fair for FREE!

Read to Ride Program - Students from kindergarten to eighth grade who read two books, write a summary, and bring this form with them will receive two free ride tickets and a monorail ticket. Bring the form to the State Fair Guest Services Office, which is located to the left as soon as you enter the main gates. 

Taste of the Fair Days! On Wednesday and Thursday, you can try select fair bite-sized foods for only $4 from 11 AM to 4 PM. 

Senior Saving Fridays! On Fridays, seniors age 62 and older can receive fair admission for only $10. 

On the first day we visited my eight-year-old participated in a fruit trivia contest at the cooking theater, this is another great place to cool off. They often have cooking demonstrations and other food-related contests here. For the fruit trivia, there were twenty questions, some multiple choice, and some questions relating to produce and agriculture. It was a three-way tie between him and two other contestants for the tiebreaker question they asked how many seeds are in a pomegranate, the person closest to the answer without going over would win and he won! He won a blue ribbon and four tickets to ride the Monorail and of course, bragging rights for winning the first-ever Kid Edition Produce Trivia Contest. 

If it is going to be a super hot day on the day you have planned to attend, try and break up your day into two parts if you can. Go as soon as they open for a few hours, visit the air-conditioned buildings and your favorite parts, and then return in the evening for the rides. I think that is a great way to ENJOY the fair when it is in the triple digits or even 90s. To me, it would be worth paying double parking to not be in that heat all day long or at the peak times of the hot weather. You could also see if someone could drop you off and pick you up for your evening second visit. Just know there is no re-entry after 7 PM, so you have to arrive before 7 PM. There is also no auto access to the main gate loop after 7 PM and Uber and Lyft pick-up is at Gate B. There is also no admission after 8 PM. You can find more hour info here. 

Another good thing to do is the fair has an unaccompanied minors policy, all youth under 18 must attend with a supervising adult (parent or guardian). This is newly implemented for safety reasons. You can read more about it here. 

Fun fact did you know this year marks the 10th Anniversary of the California Letters, from Disney California Adventure being here. Did you also know the Monorail here was also inspired by Disney's Monorail and these two are the only amusement park Monorails in California. The Cal Expo Monorail was built in 1967! The Monorail is a great way to see the entire fair and get a great overview of the layout. It is also another way to get in the shade and cool off a bit. 

The California State Fair is located at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds at 1600 Exposition Blvd. You can view a daily schedule of the fair here.